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Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don) is a vital summer season perennial semi-shrub and multipurpose drought-resilient flower crop of the tropical region of the Indian subcontinent. This industrially dominant crop is primarily used as border, bedding and pot culture in landscaping. There is a lack of information on the genetics of important traits and its correlation with quantitative characters like flower yield and understanding the co-segregation of these traits might be useful in crop improvement. Therefore, the present study was performed using 30 F 2 segregating lines of Catharanthus developed from diallel crossing of six genetically dissimilar parents varied in many traits. Phenotyping of population was executed for 12 morphological traits. Results indicated that a significant positive association between days to flowering and plant height (0.753**), and leaf area and number of branches (0.463**) was recorded. Flowers per plant exhibit significantly positive correlation with all attributes except flower diameter (−005). The path coefficient analysis reported solely two traits, such as number of seeds per follicle (0.357) and corolla tube length (0.308) exerted positively significant direct effects on flower yield per plant. The scrutiny of principal components showed that the first three components demonstrated a cumulative variability of 70.1%. The dissipating of F 2 plants in bi-plot is impenitent to our prior reports that six inbred lines were genetically diverse and quite different for the characters under study. The current research might be useful in breeding programmes for selection and hybridization of periwinkle in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don) is renowned for its diverse colors and resilience to harsh climates. Still, most commercial cultivars predominantly display flat petals. Using cultivars representing non-wavy, medium-wavy, and extreme-wavy flower forms, we examined morphological differences in both their mature leaves and floral organs. Phenotypes of self-pollinated (S1) and cross-pollinated (F1, F2) populations further underscored their morphological distinctions. Specifically, the extreme-wavy type displayed elliptical leaves, broader than the non-wavy type, with a pronounced acute apex and a notably wrinkled blade surface. The non-wavy type also bore intensely wavy petal margins and exhibited a smaller flower diameter, with a notable absence of a functional pistil, indicating female sterility. The insights gained allowed for early differentiation during the seedling period. This study suggests that the inheritance of these flower forms is regulated by an allele WAVY (Wv), which exhibits incomplete dominance. Concretely, the non-wavy form arises from a recessive homozygous expression (wvwv), the extreme-wavy from a dominant homozygous expression (WvWv), and the medium-wavy from a heterozygous expression (Wvwv). This study provides clarity on morphological descriptions and inheritance patterns of wavy flower forms, facilitating strategic breeding of diverse flower forms in periwinkle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the past two decades, Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) have demonstrated a wide range of antioxidant and anticancer properties. Vinca alkaloid exhibits the anticancer efficacy by direct metaphase arrest of cell division. Aim: The present study is to develop a green synthesis method for producing silver nanoparticles using vinca, the antioxidant and anticancer potential was assessed using A549 cells. Materials and Methods: The synthesized AgNPs were analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis, UV-visible spectrophotometer (UV), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Spectra Max i3X energy-dispersive X-ray (XRD) Spectroscopy to determine their physico-chemical and morphological characteristics. Results and Discussion: The FTIR spectrum of vinca AgNPs exhibited absorption bands at 692 cm-1, 684 cm-1, 611 cm-1, 592 cm-1, 578 cm-1, 554 cm-1, 548 cm-1, 539 cm-1 and 526 cm-1, indicating the presence of silver ion bounded nanoparticles derived from Vinca leaf. These findings suggest that vinca-coated AgNPs possess multiple functions that contribute to their stability. XRD data analysis revealed Bragg's reflections in the XRD pattern (2θ) at 24.75, 31.59, 37.56, 53.01, 64.93 and 76.27, confirming the crystalline nature of the green synthesized AgNPs. Elemental analysis was conducted to determine the elemental composition of the sample, which indicated that approximately 60% of the prepared nanoparticles were bound with silver ions, supporting the formulation. Antioxidant studies were performed using the DPPH assay at different concentrations of AgNPs, while cell-based cytotoxic assays were conducted using different concentrations of AgNO3. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the nanoparticles inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells and reduced cellular motility, indicating their promising anticancer efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus L.) is an ornamental and therapeutic herbaceous subshrub. The available literature on inheritance of flower colour in periwinkle is meager. The present investigation was conducted at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana to exploit the genetic inheritance of flower colour and to determine the number of genes involved in the inbred lines of periwinkle by crossing of an accession Vi-15-1 possessing magenta with white centre corolla and another accession Vi-29 possessing white corolla. The all F1 plants developed from crossing, including reciprocal were shown pale purple coloured flowers. In the F2 generation, three types of plants were generated such as magenta with white centre corolla (OmOm), pale purple corolla (OmW) and white (WW) corolla in the ratio of 1:2:1. The results indicate that magenta corolla shows incomplete dominance over white corolla which is possibly governed by a single pair of gene. The reciprocal cross reported the same results indicating no involvement of the cytoplasmic genes in this process. Since it is crucial to improve the landscaping traits genetically in periwinkle hence, in light of this; the present study on inheritance of corolla colour may be able to serve as future reference for the valuable genetic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work was to explore the feasibility of replacing all or part of peat with composted green waste (CGW) for vinca (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don) and zinnia (Zinnia elegans Jacq.) cultivation. Seven different growing media were prepared as follows (volume/volume): T1, 100% CGW; T2, 80% CGW + 20% peat; T3, 60% CGW + 40% peat; T4, 50% CGW + 50% peat; T5, 40% CGW + 60% peat; T6, 20% CGW + 80% peat; and T7, 100% peat. In the course of the experiment, the physicochemical properties of the seven media were analyzed, and the growth of vinca and zinnia was determined. Studies showed that replacing peat completely or partially with CGW could significantly enhance the nutrient content, bulk density, water-holding capacity, total porosity, aeration porosity, water-holding porosity, organic matter, pH, and electrical conductivity of growing media. In comparison with what observed with T7 (control), shoot fresh weight (SFW), shoot dry weight (SDW), root fresh weight (RFW), root dry weight (RDW), plant height (HP), root length (RL), flower number (FN), total chlorophyll, and the content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids in the leaves of vinca cultivated under T5 conditions increased by 36%, 34%, 84%, 27%, 34%, 25%, 157%, 62%, 60%, and 33%, respectively; SFW, SDW, RFW, RDW, HP, RL, FN, total chlorophylls, and the content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids in the leaves of zinnia increased by 341%, 296%, 365%, 302%, 206%, 93%, 180%, 56%, 49%, 67%, 110%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don) is renowned for its diverse colors and resilience to harsh climates. Still, most commercial cultivars predominantly display flat petals. Using cultivars representing non-wavy, medium-wavy, and extreme-wavy flower forms, we examined morphological differences in both their mature leaves and floral organs. Phenotypes of self-pollinated (S1) and cross-pollinated (F1, F2) populations further underscored their morphological distinctions. Specifically, the extreme-wavy type displayed elliptical leaves, broader than the non-wavy type, with a pronounced acute apex and a notably wrinkled blade surface. The non-wavy type also bore intensely wavy petal margins and exhibited a smaller flower diameter, with a notable absence of a functional pistil, indicating female sterility. The insights gained allowed for early differentiation during the seedling period. This study suggests that the inheritance of these flower forms is regulated by an allele WAVY (Wv), which exhibits incomplete dominance. Concretely, the non-wavy form arises from a recessive homozygous expression (wvwv), the extreme-wavy from a dominant homozygous expression (WvWv), and the medium-wavy from a heterozygous expression (Wvwv). This study provides clarity on morphological descriptions and inheritance patterns of wavy flower forms, facilitating strategic breeding of diverse flower forms in periwinkle.

Aim: This work aims to synthesize the gold nanoparticles (GNPs) using a dual extract of tulsi and Vinca (T+V-Gold) for breast cancer tumor regression. Methods: The GNPs were synthesized and characterized for their microscopic, spectroscopic and crystalline properties. Further, the GNPs were investigated for in vitro and in vivo studies for the treatment of the 4T1-induced triple-negative breast cancer murine model. Results: The GNPs for 4T1 tumor-challenged mice resulted in delayed tumor development and lower tumor burden, with T+V-Gold demonstrating the highest prevention of tumor spread. The antitumor effect of T+V-Gold is highly significant in the glutathione family antioxidants glutathione S-transferase and glutathione in tumor tissue samples. Conclusion: The bioefficacy and anticancer outcomes of T+V-Gold nanoformulation can be used as therapeutic agents and drug-delivery vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work was to explore the feasibility of replacing all or part of peat with composted green waste (CGW) for vinca (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don) and zinnia (Zinnia elegans Jacq.) cultivation. Seven different growing media were prepared as follows (volume/volume): T1, 100% CGW; T2, 80% CGW + 20% peat; T3, 60% CGW + 40% peat; T4, 50% CGW + 50% peat; T5, 40% CGW + 60% peat; T6, 20% CGW + 80% peat; and T7, 100% peat. In the course of the experiment, the physicochemical properties of the seven media were analyzed, and the growth of vinca and zinnia was determined. Studies showed that replacing peat completely or partially with CGW could significantly enhance the nutrient content, bulk density, water-holding capacity, total porosity, aeration porosity, water-holding porosity, organic matter, pH, and electrical conductivity of growing media. In comparison with what observed with T7 (control), shoot fresh weight (SFW), shoot dry weight (SDW), root fresh weight (RFW), root dry weight (RDW), plant height (HP), root length (RL), flower number (FN), total chlorophyll, and the content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids in the leaves of vinca cultivated under T5 conditions increased by 36%, 34%, 84%, 27%, 34%, 25%, 157%, 62%, 60%, and 33%, respectively; SFW, SDW, RFW, RDW, HP, RL, FN, total chlorophylls, and the content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids in the leaves of zinnia increased by 341%, 296%, 365%, 302%, 206%, 93%, 180%, 56%, 49%, 67%, 110%, respectively.

In the summer of 2020, a fragmentary lower part of a statue base with a Latin inscription carved on its underside was accidentally discovered in Vinča, in the area of the archaeological site of Ošljane. The remains of а Roman building (presumably a villa rustica) were located at the aforementioned site. After the discovery, the monument was stolen, then it was soon recovered and transferred to the National Museum of Serbia. The inscription records the career of a member of the equestrian order.

Abstract Cancer, one of the leading illnesses, accounts for about 10 million deaths worldwide. The treatment of cancer includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and drug therapy, along with others, which not only put a tremendous economic effect on patients but also develop drug resistance in patients with time. A significant number of cancer cases can be prevented/treated by implementing evidence-based preventive strategies. Plant-based drugs have evolved as promising preventive chemo options both in developing and developed nations. The secondary plant metabolites such as alkaloids have proven efficacy and acceptability for cancer treatment. Apropos, this review deals with a spectrum of promising alkaloids such as colchicine, vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine, vinorelbine, and vincamine within different domains of comprehensive information on these molecules such as their medical applications (contemporary/traditional), mechanism of antitumor action, and potential scale-up biotechnological studies on an in-vitro scale. The comprehensive information provided in the review will be a valuable resource to develop an effective, affordable, and cost effective cancer management program using these alkaloids.

This paper is focused upon a significant quantity of archaeological finds discovered in one of the archaeological surface surveys in the summer of 2010, during my participation at the Timișoara – Arad motorway rescue excavations, next to the village of Orțișoara. Special attention is drawn to the pottery for domestic usage which, after a comparative analysis with other findings from the surrounding area, were identified as part of the Banat culture, phase II. After a careful reflection upon the satellite images, the shape and gates positioning, the possible settlement could be seen as a rondelle type fortification. This type of settlement is mapped in different areas from Romania (Iclod, Portărești) as well as Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Czech Republic. The multitude as well as the diversity of the finds (pottery, a possible small clay figurine and the lithic materials) is suggesting a much wider periodization starting from Middle Neolithic to the Late Neolithic and most probably early Bronze Age. As a result of human intervention trough agricultural activities as well as natural transformations, the presumed settlement was levelled. A prompt rescue excavation either through a systematic or extended archaeological prospection would be necessary and it would bring much more insight upon this kind of settlements in Banat and the surrounding regions.

In this contribution the author presents several discarded human bones found in various Neolithic contexts from the Vinča settlement at Șoimuș-La Avicola (Ferma 2), Hunedoara County, Romania. Some of them show signs of interpersonal violence, which makes the interpretation more difficult when compared with the usual funerary contexts of the Southeast European Neolithic. On the other hand, this type of finds are not uncommon in the Neolithic Europe of the second half of the 6th and the first half of the 5th millennia BC.

Various Vinca species have been traditionally used for their antihypertensive, sedative, and hemostatic properties, as well as for treating diabetes. In this study, some flavonoids, phenolic acids and iridoids were isolated from an endemic Vinca species, Vinca soneri for the first time. α-Glucosidase inhibitory effects of the isolates were tested and kaempferol-3-O-α-rhamnopyranosyl (1→6) β-galactopyranoside (1) was found to be the most active one with an IC 50 value of 285.73 ±7.35 μM. Enzyme kinetic assay revealed that it inhibited α-glucosidase in competitive manner. Molecular geometry of 1 was predicted and Frontier molecular orbital analysis was performed using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. Molecular docking and MM-GBSA calculations predicted good fit for 1 in the enzyme active site and key interactions with the catalytic residues. As a result, current study identifies 1 as a promising competitive α-glucosidase inhibitor to be developed as a potential antidiabetic drug candidate., (© 2024 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Cancer, one of the leading illnesses, accounts for about 10 million deaths worldwide. The treatment of cancer includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and drug therapy, along with others, which not only put a tremendous economic effect on patients but also develop drug resistance in patients with time. A significant number of cancer cases can be prevented/treated by implementing evidence-based preventive strategies. Plant-based drugs have evolved as promising preventive chemo options both in developing and developed nations. The secondary plant metabolites such as alkaloids have proven efficacy and acceptability for cancer treatment. Apropos, this review deals with a spectrum of promising alkaloids such as colchicine, vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine, vinorelbine, and vincamine within different domains of comprehensive information on these molecules such as their medical applications (contemporary/traditional), mechanism of antitumor action, and potential scale-up biotechnological studies on an in-vitro scale. The comprehensive information provided in the review will be a valuable resource to develop an effective, affordable, and cost effective cancer management program using these alkaloids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is the palynological characterisation of all Vinca species naturally grown in Turkey. In this context, six Vinca (Apocynaceae) taxa from Turkey were investigated – V. herbacea Waldst & Kit., V. ispartensis Koyuncu & Ekşi, V. minor L., V. major subsp. major L., V. major subsp. hirsuta (Boiss.) Steam, and V. soneri Koyuncu – by a palynological approach, and palynological characters of the more closely related taxa (especially two new species and subspecies) were defined. Thus, pollen structures of the six taxa and their systematical relations could be discussed. The pollen type of the studied taxa was determined to be colpate and the sculpture psilate. The results confirm that palynological characters show minor differences between the investigated taxa of the genus. Nevertheless, these features can be used to discriminate among the taxa. PAST-multivar-cluster and principal component analysis were applied to the obtained data to compare the palynological characters of the six taxa and prove the similarities among their pollen. The results shed light on the relationship between two new Vinca species (V. soneri Koyuncu, V. ispartensis Koyuncu & Ekşi) and their closest taxa (V. herbacea). The statistical results determined the simmilarities of morphologically closer taxa (V. herbacea, V. ispartensis, V. soneri) and indicate that V. herbacea and V. ispartensis are much closer to each other compare to V. soneri, with regard to the palynological features. Also, the two subspecies (V. major subsp. major and V. major subsp. hirsuta) were observed to be most closely related to each other. In conclusion, with a few exceptional states, the palynological findings support the morphological classification. As the results demonstrate, palynological parameters can be helpful for taxonomical classification of plant taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chaîne opératoire of Neolithic Korenovo ceramics is poorly known, as hitherto potsherds from only three sites, Malo Korenovo, Tomašica in central Croatia, and Becsehely–Bukkaljai dűlő in Hungary have been analysed archaeometrically. Korenovo is considered the southernmost aspect of the Linearbandkeramik (LBK). In this paper, the ceramic assemblage from Kapelica-Solarevac and Kaniška Iva (Central Croatia) will be discussed. Kapelica-Solarevac and Kaniška Iva are the only two sites in which Starčevo and Korenovo ceramics have been found together in closed contexts. Twenty potsherds from the Kapelica-Solarevac and Kaniška Iva assemblages were analysed using polarised microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDX). In combination with equivalent data from 49 Korenovo ceramics from Tomašica and Malo Korenovo, the results offer an insight into the practices of Korenovo potters and show the lack of exchange of technological knowledge between Korenovo and LBK potters in Austria and central Transdanubia (Hungary). On the other hand, Korenovo potters seem to closely follow ceramic recipes typical of the neighbouring Vinča potters, suggesting Korenovo to be a hybrid group between the Vinča and the LBK pottery communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the summer of 2022, a cluster of Madagascar periwinkle plants with white and mauve flowers were observed with foliar mild yellow mosaic symptoms on a private property in Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas. The symptoms were reproduced on mechanically inoculated periwinkle and Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Virions of 776 to 849 nm in length and 11.7 to 14.8 nm in width were observed in transmission electron microscopy of leaf dip preparations made from symptomatic periwinkle leaves. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) analysis of total RNA extracts from symptomatic leaves revealed the occurrence of two highly divergent variants of a novel Potyvirus species as the only virus-like sequences present in the sample. The complete genomes of both variants were independently amplified via reverse transcriptase PCR, cloned, and Sanger sequenced. The 5' and 3' of the genomes were acquired using random amplification of cDNA ends methodology. The assembled virus genomes were 9,936 and 9,944 nucleotides (nt) long, and they shared 99.9 to 100% identities with the respective HTS-derived genomes. Each genome encoded hypothetical polyprotein of 3,171 amino acids (aa) (362.6 kilodaltons [kDa]) and 3,173 aa (362.7 kDa), respectively, and they shared 77.3/84.4% nt/aa polyprotein identities, indicating that they represent highly divergent variants of the same Potyvirus species. Both genomes also shared below-species-threshold polyprotein identity levels with the most closely phylogenetically related known potyviruses, thus indicating that they belong to a novel species. The name periwinkle mild yellow mosaic virus (PwMYMV) is given to the potyvirus with complete genomes of 9,936 nt for variant 1 (PwMYMV-1) and 9,944 nt for variant 2 (PwMYMV-2). We propose that PwMYMV be assigned into the genus Potyvirus (family Potyviridae )., Competing Interests: The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

Miloje M. Vasić (1869–1956) is considered to be the founding father of Serbian archaeology. This paper directly challenges, as based on detailed archival research, the prevailing view that his excavation of the Vinča archaeological site is a model standard for Serbian archaeology. Instead, Vasić’s handling of the excavation was selective, non-systematic and destructive when viewed today from the perspective of modern practices. Vasić originally gained authority based on the discovery of Vinča, a prehistoric archaeological site that contains layers from the Neolithic to the middle ages. In his zeal to uncover “prehistory”, he deliberately ignored the other archaeological layers present. The most significant example of neglected archaeological remains is his excavations of Vinča’s medieval cemetery where he did not document observations systematically. This prioritization of the importance of one archaeological period over another was reflected in the further development of archaeology in Serbia, so that medieval archaeology was treated as marginal and second-rate compared to others. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to contextualize Vasić’s approach through the methods used in the history of archaeology. The key research question thereof is how Miloje M. Vasić failed to document the burials at the Vinča site, which is the consequent reason why there is little to no documented evidence of them. The theoretical and methodological basis of the analysis is based on the approach of Gavin Lucas who views the creation of the primary field documentation as testimony. Lucas notes that the debate concerning knowledge production had drifted from merely an epistemological issue to a phenomenon centered around archaeological practice. Here the key questions have come to concern the social and material setting of knowledge production and not the objective coherence of the argument. Burials that were noted in Vasić’s documentation are categorized into four groups: 1) unwanted or medieval burials; 2) incidental burials originating from prehistory 3) an “ossuary” from Vinča containing nine skeletons and 4) imagined multiple cremations based on one found cremation. Therefore, even while documenting several “lateral” prehistoric graves, he entirely omitted any thorough documentation of the medieval cemetery, considering them of less import. If there is any lesson that may be learned from this journey through the history of archaeological practice, it is that archaeological documentation as a form of testimony should be done ethically, adequately and responsibly. It should not be done according to the practices of the “bad science” of its founding-fathers.

Miloje M. Vasić (1869–1956) is considered to be the founding father of Serbian archaeology. This paper directly challenges, as based on detailed archival research, the prevailing view that his excavation of the Vinča archaeological site is a model standard for Serbian archaeology. Instead, Vasić’s handling of the excavation was selective, non-systematic and destructive when viewed today from the perspective of modern practices. Vasić originally gained authority based on the discovery of Vinča, a prehistoric archaeological site that contains layers from the Neolithic to the middle ages. In his zeal to uncover “prehistory”, he deliberately ignored the other archaeological layers present. The most significant example of neglected archaeological remains is his excavations of Vinča’s medieval cemetery where he did not document observations systematically. This prioritization of the importance of one archaeological period over another was reflected in the further development of archaeology in Serbia, so that medieval archaeology was treated as marginal and second-rate compared to others. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to contextualize Vasić’s approach through the methods used in the history of archaeology. The key research question thereof is how Miloje M. Vasić failed to document the burials at the Vinča site, which is the consequent reason why there is little to no documented evidence of them. The theoretical and methodological basis of the analysis is based on the approach of Gavin Lucas who views the creation of the primary field documentation as testimony. Lucas notes that the debate concerning knowledge production had drifted from merely an epistemological issue to a phenomenon centered around archaeological practice. Here the key questions have come to concern the social and material setting of knowledge production and not the objective coherence of the argument. Burials that were noted in Vasić’s documentation are categorized into four groups: 1) unwanted or medieval burials; 2) incidental burials originating from prehistory; 3) an “ossuary” from Vinča containing nine skeletons and 4) imagined multiple cremations based on one found cremation. Therefore, even while documenting several “lateral” prehistoric graves, he entirely omitted any thorough documentation of the medieval cemetery, considering them of less import. If there is any lesson that may be learned from this journey through the history of archaeological practice, it is that archaeological documentation as a form of testimony should be done ethically, adequately and responsibly. It should not be done according to the practices of the “bad science” of its founding-fathers.

Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don is valuable medicinal plant grown as an ornamental plant. The study was carried out at Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, University of Florida, USA. to evaluate the morphological and anatomical changes from induced polyploidy in periwinkle for this purpose colchicine was applied at four different concentrations 0.0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2% for seedling treatment. The results showed that raising colchicine doses caused an increasing of survival percentage and tetraploid plants number. Polyploids showed an increment in leaf thickness, stomatal size, pollen diameter and pollen viability compared to diploid plants. Flow cytometry verified the existence of tetraploids and mixoploids from various colchicine-treated plants especially 0.2 which was found efficient on inducing polyploidy in the plants followed by 0.1% as compared to other concentration under study.

This paper explores to what extent orientations of houses can contribute to chronological questions and to the cultural and social contextualisation in the Neolithic of Europe in general and societies with pottery styles labeled as Vinča and LBK in particular. First of all, the question is investigated to what extent systematic errors in the orientation of houses can contribute to the clarification of intra-site chronologies in tells and flat settlements of Southeastern Europe, as just recently proved for Linear Pottery Culture settlements. These systematic, counterclockwise deviations represent a cognitive phenomenon known as 'Pseudoneglect', which can be used to reconstruct e.g. relative-chronological sequences of houses in archaeo-magnetic plans. Beyond such fine-scaled variability, at a regional level, basic orientations of houses prove to be surprisingly durable and stable indicating their normative character and high ideological significance. Within Southeast Europe, regional standardisations can be distinguished for example with the 'basic Balkan orientation' and the 'Upper Tisza orientation'. With regard to the relations between the Vinča and 'the LBK′ we would like to highlight two points: Remarkable is, on the one hand, the high diversity of house orientations in the presumed area of formation of 'the LBK'. Accordingly, human groups of different origins might have been involved in this formation process. On the other hand, it seems that not only human groups from the Balkan but also those from the upper Tisza region played a significant role in the formation and spread of the LBK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My inspiration for an undergraduate dissertation (1972) on the origins of the Vinča group and, then, a PhD on the group as a whole (1976) came from a 1971 trip to the Belo Brdo tell. The PhD was transformed by new analyses to become the 1981 BAR publication - a processually-oriented work which, in an unexpected way, remains the only general synthesis of the Vinča group until this very day. In this self-critical and -reflexive paper, based upon the keynote speech I was invited to present to the Tübingen 2019 'LBK – Vinča' Conference, I look backwards to those aspects of the synthesis which remain relevant; examine those parts which have been overtaken by more recent research; and consider why it is that the synthesis has yet to be superceded. It is interesting that landscape studies and especially settlement studies remain some of the most relevant parts of my research. Although new fieldwork has led to incrementally better distribution maps, the basic premises remain true of the changes in settlement structure from Starčevo to Vinča. The remote sensing revolution, the Bayesian analyses of unimaginably large numbers of AMS dates and the contextual recording of finds have made the greatest impacts on Vinča research. Site planning and site size studies have progressed enormously. The analyses of site densities of figurines still poses important research questions but lacks the current contextual detail of figurine deposition. Apart from congenital idleness, I cannot imagine why no other specialist has written a new synthesis of the Vinča group. It is not that no new 'cultural syntheses' have appeared in the Balkans - syntheses are not yet a threatened species. Admittedly, a rather large amount of new material has appeared in the last 50 years - together with a tendency to paint pictures on smaller canvases. Yet my hope for the next 50 years is that several new general syntheses will be written on the Vinča group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents results of archaeological study of one particular moment in time regionally determined as the middle Neolithic period in Drava river valley (northern Croatia). The main aim is reconsidering old periodical and chronological sequences in use for this period. Recent archaeological research carried out on several sites yielded new data about middle Neolithic settlement infrastructures and the remains of material culture. For the first time, remains of Linear Pottery culture (LBK) were recognized south of Transdanubia sheading new light on dispersal of this culture in its early phase. Combined with new interpretation of some old excavation results and new radiocarbon dates from recent excavations, transition from early Neolithic Starčevo culture to middle Neolithic Linear Pottery culture, emergence of Ražište style and its development under the early Vinča influence are outlined. Differences in pottery tempering, decoration and firing are discussed as well as the main types of vessels. New interpretation for 5450–4900 cal BC chronological sequence in this specific micro region is given. Results are compared with data from wider southwestern Carpathian region adding to newly developed discussion about Starčevo–LBK–Ražište–Vinča connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for automated construction of 14C-based archaeological chronologies, called Barcode Seriation (BS), is introduced. The application of BS is demonstrated for medium-sized (N~50 sites) datasets of the early Neolithic cultures Starčevo/Körös/Criş, LBK-I, and Vinča A. The BS-method is easy to apply, but nevertheless allows construction of 14C-chronologies at comparatively high dating precision. The key to BS is a new timing discriminator (TD), designed for leading/trailing edge shape-analysis of summed probability distributions of 14C-ages (SPDs). In functional terms, the TD works as an Analog-to-Digital Converter. The SPD signal digitisation, in turn, supports large-scale 14C-database analysis on different levels of data confinement (e.g. by sites, periods, periods, cultures, phases) as well as on large geographic scales (regional-continental). Due to the compactness of the chosen graphic-output topology, the combined BS/TD-technology supports ordination and plotting of very large 14C-datasets, but leaving room in graphic representation for the chronology to be shown in context with other records e.g. from palaeoenvironmental, archaeobiological, and palaeaoclimatological studies. The feasibility of routine application of the new method is demonstrated by case-comparisons at high dating-resolution for the sites of Pityerdomb (Hungary), Vráble (Slowakia), Versend-Gilencsa (Hungary), Vinča-Belo-Brdo (Serbia), and at two LBK-sites ('Lüsse' and 'Unteres Feld') both located in the Ammer Valley near Tübingen (Germany). The new methodology is complemented with studies towards the application of Gauge Theory in support of archaeological 14C-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This work evaluated the potential of Catharanthus roseus in phytoremediation of As, Ba, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn in sewage sludge-based substrates. C. roseus was cultivated for 108 days in a treatment containing sewage sludge:vermiculite (70:30%) and in the control with 100% commercial substrate. The plants cultivated in sludge showed approximately four times greater height, number of leaves and stem diameter, as well as 89% higher fresh mass than those of the control. The highest concentrations of the metals were obtained in the roots of plants grown in the sludge, and ranged from 2.04 (Cd) to 1121 mg kg−1 (Zn). Cu, Cd and Zn had a higher bioconcentration factor than 1 in both treatments. On the other hand, the translocation factor value in the control was greater than 1 for Ba, Cd, Cu, Ni, Se and Zn. The results showed that C. roseus was efficient in the phytoremediation of the evaluated metals, in which the translocation process was progressive in the treatment that presented higher metal content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Istraživanja: Journal of Historical Researches is the property of Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The strengths of formal Bayesian chronological modelling are restated, combining as it does knowledge of the archaeology with the radiocarbon dating of carefully chosen samples of known taphonomy in association with diagnostic material culture. The risks of dating bone samples are reviewed, along with a brief history of the development of approaches to the radiocarbon dating of bone. In reply to Strien (2017), selected topics concerned with the emergence and aftermath of the LBK are discussed, as well as the early Vinča, Ražište and Hinkelstein sequences. The need for rigour in an approach which combines archaeology and radiocarbon dating is underlined.

Microtubules are a protein which is made of α- and β-heterodimer. It is one of the main components of the cell which play a vital role in cell division especially in G2/M-phase. It exists in equilibrium dynamic of polymerization and depolymerization of α- and β-heterodimer. It is one of the best targets for developing anti-cancer drugs. Various natural occurring molecules are well known for their anti-tubulin effect such as vinca, paclitaxel, combretastatin, colchicine etc. These microtubule-targeted drugs are acted through two processes (i) inhibiting depolymerization of tubulin (tubulin stabilizing agents) and (ii) inhibiting polymerization of tubulin (tubulin destabilizing agents). Now days, various binding domains have been explore through which these molecules are binding to tubulin but the three major binding domain of tubulin are taxol, vinca and colchicine binding domain. The present article mainly focus on the classification of various naturally occurring compounds on the basis of their inhibition processes (depolymerization and polymerization) and the site of interaction (targets taxol, vinca and colchicine binding domain) which has been hitherto reported. By placing all the naturally occurring taxol, vinca and colchicine binding site analogues at one place makes a better understanding of the tubulin interactions with known natural tubulin binders that would helps in the discovery of new and potent natural, semi-synthetic and synthetic analogues for treating cancer. Natural anti-tubulin agents have occupied a prominent place in the area of cancer due to their excellent therapeutic effects. Tubulin inhibitors are one of major candidate for developing anti-cancer agents. Image 1 • Tubulin inhibitors are one of major candidate for developing anti-cancer agents. • Tubulin depolymerization and polymerization inhibitors lead to the discovery of various natural, synthetic and semi-synthetic anti-tubulin agents. • Taxol, vinca and colchicine are the three major binding domains of the tubulin inhibitors. • Natural anti-tubulin agents have occupied a prominent place in the area of cancer due to their excellent therapeutic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Neolithic settlement in Vinča near Belgrade, Serbia, was occupied for more than a millennium (c. 5600–4500 cal BC); from about 5200 cal BC the occupation, associated with the regional Vinča culture phenomenon, was uninterrupted. After gradual horizontal expansion in the beginning, the Vinča culture settlement grew vertically. A number of successive occupation levels composed of large, dense agglomerations of buildings formed an artificial mound of more than 10 ha in extent. The long and continuous life in a fixed location was likely facilitated by favourable natural environment offering a range of subsistence options and pathways. This paper reviews previous, and presents more recent, archaeological (i.e. artefactual) and palaeoenvironmental (geological, hydrological, palaeobotanical, faunal) evidence for the Vinča site and uses it to identify natural resources available in the settlement's surroundings as well as those found in more distant areas. Using the on-and off-site data, it indirectly evaluates economic potential of the different environmental zones around Neolithic Vinča. The impression is that the resources available locally were remarkably diverse, offered a wide spectrum of food and raw materials, and were exploitable throughout the duration of the settlement. In addition to the apparently marked profusion and variety of opportunities in the vicinity of the site, the subsistence behaviour and the nature of landscape use were likely such that they did not have a great impact on the natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study characterized novel RNA viruses, parasites of parasites, or hyperparasites identified during transcriptomic analyses of two trematode species, Cryptocotyle lingua and Himasthla elongata, infecting a sea snail, Littorina littorea. According to the viral genome structures and phylogenetic analysis, Cryptolin alternavirus (ClRNAV1), Cryptolin calicivirus (ClRNAV2) and Himastelon rhabdovirus 1 (HeRNAV1) were respectively classified within the families Alternaviridae, Caliciviridae and Rhabdoviridae. They replicate species-specifically in two studied phases of trematode live cycle: intramolluscan parthenogenetic rediae and free-swimming cercariae. ClRNAV1 showed significantly higher expression in C. lingua cercariae relative to rediae. HeRNAV1's similarity to rabies viruses raises questions about its potential effects on the nervous system of H. elongata. This 'trematode rabies' could enable the use of genetically modified viruses for developing new methods to control the spread and intensity of diseases caused by trematodes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Vinorelbine, a vinca alkaloid, is an antimitotic drug that inhibits polymerisation process of tubulins to microtubules, and is widely used in cancer chemotherapy. Due to the importance of the structure-activity relationship, in this work the conformational preferences of the vinorelbine molecule were surched by PM3 method. The obtained lowest energy conformer was then optimized at DFT/B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory and the structural characteristics were determined. Frontier orbital (HOMO, LUMO) and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) analyses were performed for the optimized structure. The experimental FT-IR, Raman and UV-VIS spectral data of vinorelbine along with the theoretical DFT/B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) calculations were investigated in detail. The vibrational wavenumbers were assigned based on the calculated potential energy distribution (PED) of the vibrational modes. To shed light into the anticancer property of vinorelbine as microtubule destabilizer, the most favourable binding mode and the interaction details between vinorelbine and tubulin were revealed by molecular docking studies of vinorelbine into the α,β-tubulin (PDB IDs: 4O2B; 1SA0; 7CNN) and binding free energies were calculated by the combination of Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area (MMGBSA) and Molecular Mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) methods {MM/PB(GB)SA}. The calculated vinorelbine-7CNN binding free energy, using by MM/PB(GB)SA approach, was found to be the best (-50.39 kcal/mol), and followed by vinorelbine-4O2B (-28.5 kcal/mol) and vinorelbine-1SA0 (-17.59 kcal/mol) systems. Moreover, the interaction of vinorelbine with the cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP), which are known to help in the metabolism of many drugs in the body, was investigated by docking studies against CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 targets.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

The interactions between habitat fragmentation and other stressors are considered a key knowledge gap. The present study tested the hypotheses that mercury enhances the effects of fragmentation by (1) reducing the cumulative daily movement of organisms, (2) shifting their foraging behavior, and (3) altering the vertical movement of the marsh periwinkle (Littoraria irrorata) in a field experiment. Random walk simulations were used to access how changes in movement affect the search efficiency of organisms in the long term. Eighteen 1.5 m 2 plots were constructed in a salt marsh where landscapes characteristics were manipulated to reach three different levels of habitat cover. Daily movement of 12 marked control and mercury-exposed snails were measured in each plot. Bayesian models were used to analyze the data and evidence ratios were used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that the effects of fragmentation were consistent in both control and exposed treatments, with an increase in the cumulative displacement of organisms. However, mercury significantly reduced the movement of organisms in all levels of fragmentation, shifting their foraging behavior (evidence ratio > 1000). Exposed snails were more likely to be found inactive in comparison with the control treatment (evidence ratio > 1000). Fragmentation also reduced the vertical movement of organisms in both treatments. In contrast, mercury increased the vertical movement of organisms (evidence ratio > 1000). The search efficiency of organisms also increased in a highly fragmentated landscape, suggesting that changes in foraging behavior are likely due to reduced resources and consequently increase in foraging effort. The present study shows that mercury exposure can enhance the effects of habitat fragmentation by changing organisms' movement, foraging behavior, and search efficiency. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1971-1981. © 2022 SETAC., (© 2022 SETAC.)

The paper presents the range of crops documented at Neolithic sites in the territory of Serbia and discusses the differences between early and late Neolithic crop spectra. The approximate timing of arrival to the region of the founder- and other crops is summarised. Further, the degree of use of different crops is explored for the region in general, and for three late Neolithic/Vinča culture sites (Opovo, Gomolava and Vinča) in more detail. Possible patterns in the treatment of crops are identified, such as the likely separate cultivation and processing of einkorn and emmer at Opovo, their probably combined consumption at Gomolava, and the apparent preference for emmer in the final occupation phases at Vinča.

The distribution and phytocenotic association of Parthenocissus vitacea and Vinca minor on the territory of the Bryansk oblast has been studied. An assessment of the distribution of invasive species is performed on a grid basis. Vinca minor is registered in 19 cells on the territory of the oblast, which is 4.9% of the total number of cells and 11.9% of the surveyed cells; Parthenocissus vitacea is registered in 50 cells, which is 12.8% of the total number of cells and 31.2% of the surveyed cells. The invasive status of Parthenocissus vitacea and Vinca minor is category 3: an adventive species whose invasions into natural and seminatural habitats in the region at the moment are rare and, as a rule, confined to the outskirts of populated areas, abandoned parks, and old plantings. The indices of successful invasion in forest communities is the formation of syntaxonomically valid variants of the communities of Corylo avellanae-Pinetum sylvestris Bulokhov et Solomeshch 2003 with depleted cenoflora. Invasive species change the phytosphere and reliably decrease the indices of α and β diversity, the structural indices of communities. The invasion of Parthenocissus vitacea and Vinca minor is successful due to active vegetative reproduction, allelopathic effects on native species, and decreasing illumination of the ground cover. The introduction of invasive species into complex pine forests blocks demutational changes of endogenous succession during the restoration of broad-leaved forests: they simplify the structure of communities and reduce the intensity of the mosaic. Parthenocissus vitacea and Vinca minor can exhibit signs of an edificator, a community builder, and a violent and transformer type. There has been only one case of a radical transformation of the natural community, registered on the territory of the Lyubin Khutor nature monument (Novozybkovskii district, Bryansk oblast). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don is a plant which produces anticancer and anti-mitotic indole alkaloids. Colchicine is an anti-mitotic drug. Anti-mitotic effects of Vinca herbacea Waldst. & Kit. indole alkaloids is unknown. The study were evaluated the antimitotic effect of alkaloids of V. herbacea, Catharanthus roseus and colchicine on mitosis and microtubule arrangement of human blood cells. In this research, alkaloids were extracted from V. herbacea (herba) and C. roseus (rose). In vitro anti-mitotic and microtubule shortening effects of different concentration of these alkaloids and colchicine were studied on peripheral blood cells. Three alkaloids include herba alkaloid (V. herbacea alkaloid) and rose alkaloid (C. roseus alkaloid) and colchicine, especially herba alkaloid with increasing concentrations (0, 5, 10 and 20 µg.ml-1) that induced mitotic block at the metaphase to anaphase transition. Mitotically blocked cells were exhibited aberrant spindles by microtubule dynamics suppression. All three alkaloids strongly suppresses the rate and extent of microtubule shortening in vitro. Our results showed V. herbacea are a novel source of anti-mitotic and anticancer compounds, probably better of C. roseus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catharanthus roseus today occupies the central position in ongoing metabolic engineering efforts in medicinal plants. The entire multi-step biogenetic pathway of its very expensive anticancerous alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine is fairly very well dissected at biochemical and gene levels except the pathway steps leading to biosynthesis of monomeric alkaloid catharanthine and tabersonine. In order to enhance the plant-based productivity of these pharma molecules for the drug industry, cell and tissue cultures of C. roseus are being increasingly tested to provide their alternate production platforms. However, a rigid developmental regulation and involvement of different cell, tissues, and organelles in the synthesis of these alkaloids have restricted the utility of these cultures. Therefore, the present study was carried out with pushing the terpenoid indole alkaloid pathway metabolic flux towards dimeric alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine production by over-expressing the two upstream pathway genes tryptophan decarboxylase and strictosidine synthase at two different levels of cellular organization viz. callus and leaf tissues. The transformation experiments were carried out using Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA1119 strain having tryptophan decarboxylase and strictosidine synthase gene cassette. The callus transformation reported a maximum of 0.027% dry wt vindoline and 0.053% dry wt catharanthine production, whereas, the transiently transformed leaves reported a maximum of 0.30% dry wt vindoline, 0.10% catharanthine, and 0.0027% dry wt vinblastine content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Illyrica / Godišnjak Udruženja BATHINVS ACTA ILLYRICA is the property of Association for the Study & Promotion of Illyrian Heritage, Ancient & Classical Civilizations and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Documenta Praehistorica is the property of Documenta Praehistorica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)